


In the end, we take what's left

by Lefaym



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Community: hc_bingo, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-10
Updated: 2010-06-10
Packaged: 2017-10-10 01:05:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lefaym/pseuds/Lefaym
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At the end of the world, all that Jack, Gwen and Ianto have left is each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the end, we take what's left

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Lionessvalenti for the beta.
> 
> This was written for hurt/comfort bingo, to fill the prompt: "earth blowing up, escaping to space".

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

The remains of the Earth burned all around them, and Jack knew that it was wrong. He'd seen the future; the Earth wasn't supposed to meet its end _now_. The Doctor was supposed to turn up, to save them all. The Earth had millions--billions--of years in front of her, there were things that had to happen--but here she was, burning; to the untrained eye, it would soon look as though she'd never existed.

A few feet in front of Jack, Ianto stood on the raised viewing platform of the Pyxalian spaceship that Torchwood Three had kept secured deep beneath Cardiff for the past fifty years. He stared out at the debris that swirled past the ship's shields, his back straight, his fists clenched. Jack thought about joining him there, about placing a hand on Ianto's back, but he could tell that Ianto wasn't ready for that, not yet, so he turned instead to look at Gwen, who wept silently as she sat on the edge of the large bed they'd installed here during the seventies. The outdated piece of Earthly furniture looked out of place amongst the Pyxalian technology that powered the ship.

Gwen looked up, as though she could sense Jack's eyes on her.

"We couldn't save him," she said brokenly. "Why couldn't we save him, Jack?"

"There wasn't time," said Jack, his voice thick. It was all he could think of to say. There hadn't been time to save anyone--Rhys, Alice and Steven, Ianto's family--all of them had been dead before Torchwood had been able to do anything. There had been no time for anything but escape.

"It's not fair," said Gwen. "It's not fucking fair."

"No," Jack agreed, "it isn't."

It took him two strides to reach the bed, and then he was sitting beside her, pulling her close. She sobbed into his chest, and he ran his hand through her hair as his own tears began to course their way down his cheeks.

"We should have been able to do something," she said.

"I'm sorry," said Jack, pressing his lips to the crown of her head. "I'm sorry."

And then, because Jack couldn't think of anything else to do, because there was nothing else left _to_ do, Jack ran his fingers along Gwen's jawline and tilted her face upwards so that he could cover her mouth with his. If they'd been on Earth, Jack might have hesitated a moment (but only a moment) before kissing Gwen when she'd just lost so much, but they weren't on Earth, there was no Earth, and there never would be again. Gwen's mouth opened sweetly beneath his, and Jack could taste her tears mingling with his own.

When Jack finally pulled away from her and looked up, he saw that Ianto had turned his back on the burning Earth, that he'd been watching them with one of those peculiar unreadable expressions on his face. Wordlessly, Jack held out his hand, and after a moment's pause, Ianto stepped towards them. Jack took one of Ianto's hands in his own, and pulled him down, so that Ianto sat beside him. Without letting go of Gwen, Jack raised a hand to Ianto's cheek, and kissed him too, letting himself sink into the familiar contours of Ianto's lips.

Jack felt one of Gwen's hands untucking his shirt and making its way up his back, her palm and her fingers warm against his spine. Almost as though he could sense her touch through Jack, Ianto leaned in harder, increasing the intensity of their kiss. He raised both his hands to Jack's head, tightening his fingers in Jack's hair, and then Gwen's other hand joined them, her fingers twining with Ianto's.

Suddenly the two of them, both pressed closely against him, were all that seemed real to Jack in the entire universe.

Jack found himself pulling Gwen and Ianto back onto the bed, or maybe they were pulling him; he wasn't sure. Ianto's mouth became Gwen's mouth, and then Ianto's again. They pulled at each other's clothing, roughly, gently, and everything in between. And then at last Jack was lying on his back, with Ianto half beneath him, half behind him, his cock pressing hard between Jack's shoulder-blades. And Gwen, Gwen was on top of him, lowering herself onto Jack's cock, warm and beautiful. She moved against him, even as tears continued to fall down her face, and behind him, Jack could feel Ianto trembling as he pressed forward against Jack in counterpoint to Gwen.

Jack wasn't sure how long it lasted; he wasn't sure how long he spent running his hands along Ianto's legs, splayed out on either side of him; he wasn't sure how long he held tightly onto Gwen's hips as she rocked back and forth above him. It was as though time ceased to matter until finally Gwen cried out, her cunt tightening around Jack's cock, and then Ianto was coming too, warm and wet against Jack's back. Jack felt his own orgasm take him, then; he bit down his lip as he spent himself inside Gwen's body.

For a moment none of them moved, and then Gwen collapsed against Jack's front, her arms snaking around Jack and around Ianto too.

"Oh, god," she said. "Oh, god."

Jack raised his hand to her hair again, and she buried her face in his neck.

"What have we done?" Ianto asked. His fingers tightened on Jack's should, and Jack covered them with his free hand.

"We've taken care of each other," Jack said softly. "That's all we can do, now."

Jack allowed his head to fall back against Ianto's chest, and he held Gwen to him as tightly as possible. He closed his eyes and felt their warmth around him, even as outside, the planet once called Earth continued to burn.


End file.
